The mock prom crash was the first time Kelly did prosthetic makeup on anyone other than herself. The inventive 18-year-old hasn’t had access yet to the products used by professionals in the industry, so she has worked primarily with liquid latex combined with toilet paper. To make the rotten skin effect for the zombies, she heats liquid gelatin and glycerin. Foundation and eye shadow are then blended to finalize the effect.

Other than her brother, whom she transformed into a zombie before taking a trip to WalMart with him, Kelly primarily practices her craft on herself, creating burns, wounds, frostbitten skin and more. “I love making wounds. I kind of even gross myself out,” she said.

Not everyone appreciates the work, but Kelly has kept to it. “The first time I did it, I made a long cut down my arm. My mom almost called 911. She’s used to it now, but my dad still can’t look at it.

“When I first started doing this, it wasn’t well accepted,” said Kelly. “I’ve always been the quiet kid that no one talked to. I’ve just been into my art. Eventually people got to know me and now they think it’s cool. I’m grateful that I found my niche, the one thing that I really feel like I’m good at.” See more photos of Kelly’s creations at www.riverreporter.com, and her graduation photo on page 16.